98 KEPORT OF THE No. 3 



Since the inception of this work about 2,000,000 forest plants have been dis- 

 tributed throughout Older Ontario. The annual distribution now reaches about 

 400,000, and demonstration plantings on waste land have been made in nearly 

 every county of Older Ontario. 



• In addition to the distribution of trees for waste land planting, the Branch 

 sends out collections of evergreens to public schools carrying on school gardening, 

 so that the children may become familiar with the propagation of forest seedlings. 



Railroad Fiee Protection. 



During this past season the Department has taken advantage of the Dominion 

 Board of Railway Commissioners' General Order, to prevent fires along the right 

 of way of railways coming under the jurisdiction of the Board. 



The Board provides the legal measures to carry out fire protection and the 

 Province through inspection and supervision sees that the Board's Order is ful- 

 filled. The Provincial Forester was made Provincial Fire Inspector under the 

 Board, with three District Fire Inspectors. The chief duties of these inspectors in 

 carrying out the provisions of the Order, are as follows : — 



To examine and report on locomotive equipment in relation to fire danger. 



To report upon right of way conditions, in relation to fire hazard. 



To supervise the disposal and burning of debris along the right of way. 



To report all fires occurring along the right of way, giving cause and full 

 description as far as possible. 



The Text of the Board's General Order is contained in the following: — 



DOMINION BOARD OF RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS (Order No. 107). 



2. Until further order, every railway subject to the legislative authority of the 

 Parliament of Canada, under construction or being operated by steam, shall, unless 

 exempted by a special order of the Board, cause every locomotive engine used on the 

 said railway, or portion of railway, being constructed or operated by it, to be fitted and 

 kept fitted with netting mesh as hereinafter set forth, namely: 



(o) On every engine equipped with an extension smoke-box, the mesh shall not be 

 larger than 2^x2% per inch of No. 10 Birmingham Wire Gauge, and shall be placed 

 in the smoke-box so as to extend completely over the aperture through which the smoke 

 ascends, the openings of the said mesh not to exceed a quarter of an inch and one-sixty- 

 fourth (that is, seventeen sixty-fourths) of an inch to the square. 



(6) On every engine equipped with a diamond stack, the mesh shall not be more 

 than 3x3 per inch of No. 10 Birmingham Wire Gauge, and shall be placed at the fiare 

 of the diamond of the stack, so as to cover the same completely, the openings of said 

 mesh not to exceed three-sixteenths and one sixty-fourth (that is, thirteen sixty-fourths) 

 of an inch to the square. 



3. Every such railway company shall cause: 



(a) The openings of the ashpans on every locomotive engine used on the railway, 

 or portion of railway, operated or being constructed by it, to be covered, when practic- 

 able, with heavy sheet iron dampers ; and, if not practicable, with screen netting dampers 

 2^ X 2% per inch of No. 10 Birmingham Wire Gauge, such dampers to be fastened either 

 by a heavy spring or by a split cotter and pins, or by such other method as may be 

 approved by the Board. 



(6) Overfiow pipes from lifting injectors, or from water pipes from injector-delivery 

 pipe, or from boiler, to be put into the front and back part of the ashpans and used 

 from the first day of April to the first day of November, or during such portion of this 

 period as the Board may prescribe, for wetting ashpans. 



